New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-28
THE INDIAN SERVICE DEMoRALrzEp.
SOME INSTANCES OF UNwIsE AppoINTMENrs-NEEp

SOME INSTANCES OF UNwIsE APPOINTMENTs-NEED
OF A coMMoN-sENsE SYSTEM OF SELECTION.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Under the heading General Atkins defended"
you publish letter in which "B. b. w." asserts that
gross injustice has been done to the Commissioner by
certain statements of mine the Generalization of
the Indian Service and especially in its educational
department. b b. w. has been advised of any
removals without appointments without regard
to qualification and he innocenty argues that only pref
udice Imagination could suggest any criticism of the
Indian Bureau But besides the general sweeping away
OF suborinaes, five out Of every six agents have been
removed men Of conspicuous efficiency and commended
for faithfuness by General Atkins himself being dis
placed, In some instances by persons convicted Of
felonies Even the official reports show that appoint
ments have been made without regard to fitness,
witness the reports of Captain Lee of the territory from
which B. b. W. writes of Captain Bell, of the Pine
Ridge Agency, and of Agent Anderson, of Crow Creek
II space permitted examples could be cited by the
column where good officers have been hampered by
subordnates like the farmer the Crow Reservation
who had received his agricultural training in livery
stable and taught the Indians to plant potatoes by put
ting hatfu in hill, or the physician at Pine Ridge
who dosed woman with teaspoonful Of sodine, Of
Cerksullivan at Cheyenne River, who detected in
shameful conspiracy against the agent and yet retained
Commissioner Atkins has himself admitted before
investigating committee that in making appointments
he had yielded to the requests Of men whom he owed
political obligations "a statement that 1t is difficult to
in newspaper, to wit: that all the changes In the
Indian Service have been made under the conviction that
they wise and necessary"
The recent history of the schools at Yakima, Cheyenne
River, sisset0n Forest Grove. Albuquerque ShOshOne
and I'm other agencies will furnish jusfying facts for
every charge made Whether Tennessee and Mississippi
have sent more than their quota OF ncOmpetents to help
civlnze the Indians Is not matter OF supreme im-
p0rtance but IL Is bywOrd among the employees them
selves from Omaha to Puget Sound that atkins and
Lamar have been reckessy reducing the Democratic
majorties In their States by drafting voters into tho
service" At SissetOn Agency, Dakota, for example,
nephew OF Senator Harris was made chief clerk. He
boosted OF his influence and suppanted the physician to
make room for friend OF his also from Tennessee One
Gordon third Tennesseean, was then made principal or
the Industrial School, not to speak OF his wife as maro,
his ssterinlaw as teacher and his nephew, age nine
authority from Washington doing its utmost to thwart
the purposes OF the agent and the result of such nsub
ordination be imagined This u.s. let us hope an ex-
IRENE But there is way TO find out just where
all these officials came from, and that was suggested
edtorially in THE TRIBUNE. You asked Why should
not Mr. Dawes, some other Senator member Of the
House who takes serious and intelligent interest In
Indian affairs ask for investigation OF this matter, so
that the country be informed the character and
anecedents of the class OF teachers and officers
Let us know who they and who responsible for
them" BY all let Congress order the inyestga
ton more general knowledge Of the influences which
control these appointments and OF the character OF the
appon tees might go far toward creating general
demand for system OF selection and promotion III
this service that Is based common justice and common
5.
Neu- York, April 81, 1887.